Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

Photos: Japan’s earthquake refugees

On March 11, 2011. a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan. Twelve months on from the disaster, few have received the compensation payouts they expected from plant operator TEPCO, an enormous utility whose tentacles reach far into Japan’s political machine. Many survivors still live in barrack-style temporary housing settlements.

Shinichiro Uetake, son of Takeshi Uetake, the owner of a Japanese style hotel called “Takeya”, showing the damage to the hotel. The Uetakes decided to close the hotel after the earthquake and the following nuclear accident.